Marlink and Intelsat expand connectivity services for maritime sector

Extension of successful, long-term partnership ensures availability of reliable, high-speed broadband connectivity to support ship operations and crew needs.

Marlink and Intelsat have agreed to a multi-year renewal and expansion of their partnership to provide broadband services to maritime vessels around the world. The multi-year agreement will deliver additional throughput to vessels via multiple layers of space-based coverage, ensuring that ship owners and operators have the flexibility and access to reliable, high-quality, always-on connectivity. 

Initiated in 2014, the partnership between Marlink and Intelsat enabled Marlink to enhance its extensive portfolio of maritime VSAT services. It also unlocked applications that improve operational efficiencies for ship owners and operators across all maritime segments, including the oil/offshore, transportation, cruise and ferry, and fisheries sectors.

Under this extension, Marlink’s customers will see even greater benefits on board. The flexibility, reliability and reach provided by Intelsat’s global network of wide beam and high-throughput Intelsat EpicNG satellites provide unprecedented high-speed connectivity to maritime vessels, enabling the delivery of a diverse range of value-added services and applications such as asset tracking and improved cyber security that supports their current and future connectivity needs.

Samer Halawi, Intelsat’s Executive Vice President, Chief Commercial Officer, said:

"Our partnership is a great example of how pairing Intelsat’s robust, global communications infrastructure with Marlink’s diverse portfolio of communications solutions results in the ultimate connectivity experience at sea. With Intelsat’s global connectivity, Marlink is delivering the services that are most in demand by ship owners and operators today. The coverage and flexibility provided by Intelsat’s space-based and terrestrial network allow Marlink to scale and meet their customers’ increasing demands and changing requirements."

Erik Ceuppens, Chief Executive Officer, Marlink Group, said:

"The demand for dependable, high-quality VSAT connectivity in the maritime sector has increased significantly in recent years. Together, Marlink and Intelsat have matched this escalation every step of the way, constantly working to drive improvements in service efficiency and resilience for our customer base. Marlink is now the world’s largest Maritime VSAT Satellite Service Provider both in revenue and number of vessels, which is driving Marlink’s desire to secure long-term partnerships to future-proof our connectivity services."